England's shocking purple kit and the butchering of the national anthem both
played a role in England's defeat against Australia, argues Brian Moore

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Pass and move: if Chris Robshaw's presence as a captain is crucial then Stuart Lancaster should start him at No 6 and play a specialist No 7, possibly Steffon Armitage or Andy SaullPhoto: ACTION IMAGES

Tradition is unfashionable these days, associated with outdated conservatism. On Saturday at Twickenham we saw a number of deviations from old ways: purple kit; a screeched accompaniment to the national anthem and the eschewing of old-fashioned styles of play, like running straight, fixing a defender and catching and passing. With each departure modernity missed the mark.

Coaches earnestly talk about the seemingly insignificant one percentiles that aggregate into something tangible. Dave Brailsford, Sir Clive Woodward and others who have enjoyed success in sport insist everything that is within your control has to be addressed.

Of themselves, none of the following excuse England’s loss to Australia, but they are little things that should be got right.

When players grow up wanting to play for England they think of pulling on the traditional white jersey. It is not just a question of colour; it has subtle, powerful connotations and a significance that nobody who has not played for their country can ever appreciate.

Nobody dreams of running on to Twickenham wearing the Arsenal commemorative strip. Purple that reflects tracksuits worn in the Seventies and Eighties and gold reflecting England’s position in rugby’s royalty’ is stereotypical marketing b------- and that explanation, with its presumption of imperial status, is an unnecessary motivation for any opposition.

More importantly, the shirt colour has game-related considerations. Anyone who has played against the All Blacks will tell you that when they are at their best, it feels like you are facing a black tide of fury; Woodward’s side generated a white one. In the heat of battle, players are far more likely to see a familiar white shirt in their peripheral vision, which can make the difference in making the right pass or taking the right running line.

Another one per cent is also bound up with the emotion of a Test match and, importantly, the framing of its tone. A side’s national anthem has psychological effects and the effect of a full-throated singing of God Save the Queen should not be underestimated. The grating amplified accompaniment of the anthem is unnecessary, infuriating and should stop.

At first glance this was narrow defeat and a game that could have been won had England kicked penalties and taken their chances. In reality they did not deserve to be within striking distance because Australia were better in nearly every facet of the game. The difficulty for Stuart Lancaster is to fathom whether this is a matter of fine tuning or something more major.

What should be alarming is the seeming inability of a succession of players to run straight and effectively take a defender out of the game by correctly timing a pass. Numerous times England, both backs and forwards, ran laterally and passed so early that the racing defender simply drifted on to the next player. These are basic skills and Lancaster had better insist that they are done correctly or he has to find players that can execute them at the highest level when the pressure is greatest.

Though by no means alone, the most egregious example of drifting was Manu Tuilagi. Lancaster should consider whether his power might not be best utilised as a strike running winger off the shoulder of the fly-half and inside centre because while he plays in midfield anyone outside him, even if he does get the ball, will find little room with which to work.

Another, familiar, concern is the breakdown. Time and again England did not have the right numbers to free the ball quickly and suffered because Australia counter-rucked with a ferocity exemplified by their captain Nathan Sharpe. They also had to deal with the fact that too often David Pocock’s understudy, Michael Hooper was first on the scene and outplayed Chris Robshaw. This is perhaps the most difficult question of all: is Robshaw good enough at openside to compete with the very best?

Everything about Robshaw suggested that he is a No 6 and not a specialist No 7. At times he has delivered the brief and at others been found wanting, but this is such an important position that Lancaster cannot afford to get it wrong. If Robshaw’s presence as a captain is seen as crucial then Lancaster should start him at No 6 and play a specialist No 7, possibly Steffon Armitage or Andy Saull.

Next week England have a chance to put matters right because they know what is coming. South Africa’s physical domination of Scotland, described by coach Andy Robinson as bullying, in the right sense, showed that their aim remains direct, unsubtle and difficult to combat.

Nevertheless, this is now a crucial game for England because the public will not accept a return of one win out of four from the autumn internationals, particularly as the side has not made the expected improvements on last summer.